1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to car alert systems. More specifically, the present invention is related to systems that are adapted to alert individuals when they have left an occupant, such as a child, or an item in their car unintentionally. Even more specifically, the present invention is related to systems that are adapted to alert individuals when they have left an occupant unattended in an automobile and additionally that are adapted to take corrective measures to protect the occupant from inhospitable conditions in the event that the individual to which the alerts are directed nonetheless fails to retrieve the unattended occupant.
Even normally attentive parents or guardians may forget a young child and leave him or her in a car unattended for a substantial length of time when busy. This can be very dangerous if the weather is either excessively hot or cold, because the temperature within the automobile can increase or decrease precipitously. Hyperthermia, i.e. heatstroke, kills dozens of children in the United States each year, which is especially tragic because it would be so simple for these deaths to be preventable. Children who are asleep, are too young to speak, or are unable to open doors are especially susceptible to the dangers of being left unattended in an automobile. Therefore, there is a need in the prior art for a system that provides warnings to users when an occupant has been left unattended in an automobile and that is further adapted to take corrective action to either allow surrounding individuals to rescue the occupant, allow the occupant to leave the automobile easily, or to raise or lower the internal temperature of the vehicle as appropriate to counteract the dangerous conditions to which the occupant is subjected if the individual to which the alerts are provided fails to rescue the occupant.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Devices have been disclosed in the prior art that relate to vehicle occupancy notification systems. These include devices that have been patented and published in patent application publications. These devices generally relate to integral vehicle systems that comprise integral detection sensors. The following is a list of devices deemed most relevant to the present disclosure, which are herein described for the purposes of highlighting and differentiating the unique aspects of the present invention, and further highlighting the drawbacks existing in the prior art.
The prior art systems generally comprise integral detection sensors that are adapted to wirelessly transmit warnings or alerts to key fobs or other such devices, which are carried by the individual. However, these systems are not adapted to activate both a vehicle-based warning system and a wireless device-based warning system. Activating both systems ensures that both the individual carrying the wireless device, which comprises a fob, is notified of the fact that the occupant has been left unattended and other surrounding individuals are also notified as such so that they can assist the child as needed. Furthermore, the prior art systems are not adapted to automatically take corrective measures by activating functions of the vehicle to alleviate the dangerous conditions in which the occupant has been placed, as necessary.
The present invention substantially diverges in design elements from the prior art and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing occupancy notification systems. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.